Geranium plant named ‘Dueviblu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Dueviblu’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and red purple-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar ‘Dueviblu’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueviblu’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with attractiveflower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in September, 1998, of a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-03-008, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-03-001, not patented,as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Dueviblu was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny fromthis cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany inSeptember, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingstaken at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2000, has shown that theunique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueviblu’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueviblu’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Red purple-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection F-03-008, plantsof the new Zonal Geranium have brighter green-colored leaves and differin flower color. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selectionF-03-001, plants of the new Zonal Geranium are more vigorous and havebrighter green-colored leaves.

The new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘HWDCampana’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,743. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new ZonalGeranium differed from plants of the cultivar HWD Campana in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were larger than plants of thecultivar HWD Campana.

2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had broader leaves than plants ofthe cultivar HWD Campana.

3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger flower umbels than plantsof the cultivar HWD Campana.

4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had single flowers whereas plants ofthe cultivar HWD Campana had double flowers.

5. Flower color of plants of the new Zonal Geranium was darker thanflower color of plants of the cultivar HWD Campana.

6. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had shorter peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar HWD Campana.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprisesa side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Dueviblu’ grownin a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Dueviblu has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown in 10.5-cm containers. Plants were about eight weeksfrom unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanicaldescription were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Dueviblu, alsoknown as Z98-1216-A.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identifiedas F-03-008, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified asF-03-001, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded planthabit; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Basal branching, aboutthree lateral branches per plant.

Plant height.—About 24 cm.

Plant width.—About 23 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 6 cm. Internode length: About 1 cm.Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About six. Length: About 8.1 cm. Width: About 10.2cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate.Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137B. Young foliage, lower surface:138B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expandedfoliage, lower surface: 138B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.Zonation pattern: Not observed. Petiole: Length: About 7.5 cm. Diameter:About 2.4 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Red purple-colored single flowers arranged inrounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbelsdisplayed above and beyond the foliage on peduncles. Flowers rounded inform. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have aboutsix open and developing umbels with about 25 flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring until the autumn.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 11 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About 1.7 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 7.3 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 144A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five or six. Length: About 2.7 cm.Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Entire; sinuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 66A; towards thebase, close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 67B.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length:About 1.9 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex:Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth;glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 15.5 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm.Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth;glabrous. Color: 144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About1 mm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 144A faintly overlain with 59B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: Abouteight. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color:47B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 25A. Gynoecium: Pistilquantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape:Five-parted, star-shaped. Stigma color: 59B. Style length: About 7 mm.Style color: 59B. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to ZonalGeraniums.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have beenobserved to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plantnamed ‘Dueviblu’, as herein illustrated and described.